GDT: Sens Vs Sabres, 7:00 TV: TSN5 Radio: TSN 1200 AM

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

They haven't been playing like a playoff team for a couple weeks now. It's not just the lack of scoring; their puck movement hasn't been crip, ferocity on the backcheck and coverage in the defensive zone has been lacking. Forsberg was good against Detroit but bad last night.

This team drives me crazy; a few weeks ago I thought they could compete with any team in the league. Last night they couldn't even get one goal on Buffalo, one of the worst teams in the league. At some point, they'll probably pull it together and start playing well again. I suppose when we get Ullmark back, he might make the difference but as of now, I'm doubtful we make the playoffs this season.

It's overly simplified, the team up front needs to be way better, and can't really "blame" Forsberg for the last 2, but plugging a .915 save % guy in for a .883 save % guy would be massive for the team. It's not just about how good Linus was, but the massive drop off to the next guy. Personally, as much as they aren't scoring atm, that's basically the difference for this team to be competitive. Could probably tread water with a .900 type guy.

 

[headup]

It’s unfortunately way more than that.

We played better defensively as a group.

We scored goals.

PP was rolling.

A lot of things unrelated to goaltending have turned sour.

Precisely what happens when riding a high. What we see now is their baseline play. Too much has to be prefect for them win on a regular basis. This group has proven year after year they cannot maintain the level of play required to make the play offs. Time to sell off the core in March and retool.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Sens were the better team early

2 Chabot gaffs led to 2 breakaways from playing brain dead.
Jensen heals the puck in our end and Cozens buries it.

Can't blame 4sey on them but I feel there is a decent chance Ullmark stops 2/3 of them.

Game over at that point... It feels like when before their + run when they dug a hole ... we've seen it before. They turned it around playing with more desperation ..they need some on that again

Still the state of the roster up front was hanging on by a thread ever since Amadio went down. The depth is non existent.. and the play of a few players up front especially has really dropped.



I find it funny that when the team was rolling showing a lot of improvement the anti Green crowd was pretty quiet. Now in a slump it seems to be immediately on him.

 

[Cosmix]

Disgusting sh*t goalie! Why he is still with Sens?

I agree; however, that game result against Buffalo demonstrated that the rest of the team can play like shit too.

Gave up far too many good scoring opportunities (including break-aways, partial break-aways).

The team got a sufficient number of shots but lacked finish.

Buffalo was lucky to win because they do not have a very good team either.

What is wrong with this team?

a. poor backup goaltender
b. lack of defencemen awareness of threats
c. not enough goal-scoring ability
d. lack of speed and skill at forward
e. lack of physical defensemen who check and knock opposing forwards down in front of the net.

 

[frightenedinmatenum2]

Sens played better early and dominated possession, but it did not lead to good scoring chances. The first three goals against were all bad puck management. The Senators were very sloppy in their own zone and the neutral zone with bad looks.

There were also multiple times were Stutzle was wide open in the same spot to the left of the net and nobody could find him, or they couldn't figure it out quickly enough. If we had two Tim Stutzle's, one of them would be a 60 goal scorer.

After going down 3-0, they were completely deflated and played like one of those online games where you have a bad connection. They kept overskating the puck, tripping, messing up simple passes. It was the strangest kind of play that I have ever seen at a live NHL game, because it wasn't like they didn't care, it was like they were drunk and just couldn't manage simple plays. With Green going easy on them post game, it makes me wonder if flu that was going around the room has gotten most of them.

It was a comedy of errors. It was like the puck was remote controlled, and a Buffalo fan was making it moved a few inches to the right or left so that the Sens player completely wiffed on it. I've never seen this happen so many times to one team in an NHL game.

The only feel good part of the game is that it's nice to see a local product in Jack Quinn come here and succeed, most likely in front of their family and friends. Of course, it would have been nicer if he scored a few but we still won.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Just gotta hope they put together more hot streaks than cold ones. They're going to be streaky, especially with questions in goal with Ulmark's health. If Ulmark can be relatively healthy, they're still in decent shape to sneak into a wildcard slot.

If they drop another 2 or 3 in a row though .. . uh oh

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[Ouroboros]

lol - why ask MacEwen? He hasn't been here for 6 weeks!

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

lol - why ask MacEwen? He hasn't been here for 6 weeks!

Lol, no kidding. I didn't even know he was back from Belleville.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

lol - why ask MacEwen? He hasn't been here for 6 weeks!

fishing for crumbs she wasn't getting elsewhere

 

[Stutzlaaaa]

Meh can't blame injuries like every year the only significant one is Ulmark . Bjt you have to win games with back up anyways. Top players are playing mostly like shit they dont look like among the top tiers players in the NHL for more then 10 games now.Let'not forget that evry team need 2 or 3 players in the top 50 in production to be ables to sniff at a playoff chances right now and would say we have 1 and he is having a rough time with big focus on him from opponents.

I think every team knows noe that you dounle chek stutzle and Ottawa offense dries up...

 

[Ouroboros]

Lol, no kidding. I didn't even know he was back from Belleville.

I didn't either until I saw the tweet, but apparently he and Highmore were recalled today.

It really is just the Belleville Sens now. Merilainen, Kleven, Matinpalo, Guenette, Reinhardt, Ostapchuk, Gaudette, MacEwen, Highmore. Grim.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I didn't either until I saw the tweet, but apparently he and Highmore were recalled today.

It really is just the Belleville Sens now. Merilainen, Kleven, Matinpalo, Guenette, Reinhardt, Ostapchuk, Gaudette, MacEwen, Highmore. Grim.

Yikes. Grim, to say the least.

 

[boxbox]

The team has lost 6 of the last seven games. The “team" has not looked sharp in this stretch.

There’s far more than suspect goaltending that’s wrong. Last nights game was another example. The team has scored 8 goals in the last 7 games. Goalies don’t score goals.

There were some costly defensive mistakes last night. That’s been another issue.

Defensive mistakes are part of the game of hockey, every team makes them. Sure the team has lost 6 of 7 games but in those 7 games (W1 -6L) vs the previous 7 games (W6-1L) what differentiates ? GOALTENDING. Yes I am aware that during that stretch Ullmark was playing exceptionally well but then again hes wasn't making 50 saves a game and getting no goal support...it all goes hand in hand and again its the point I've been trying to get across which is that this team without steady goaltending will lack consistency and be what it has been without it; a middle of the pack team.

I am not claiming the Sens are a offensive juggernaut or a defensive powerhouse. IMO they don't lack in either category and under the right circumstances are capable of being in the TOP10 overall in both. The situation at the moment isn't ideal but def. better than what it was last season after 39 games.